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When the President complains over graft |
Monday, 22 October 2012 23:09 |
President Jakaya KIkwete By The Citizen Reporter Dodoma President Jakaya Kikwete has complained bitterly about rampant corruption in the internal elections in his own ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM). If the trend continues, he warned, the party risks losing the trust of the people due to corruption and internal divisions. Mr Kikwete, the national chairman of CCM, was speaking at the close of the general congress of the eighth CCM Womens Wingpopularly known as Umoja wa Wanawake Tanzania (UWT). Clearly disturbed by the going-on at the congress, President Kikwete spoke on Sunday evening of money having been poured in the elections. There are things that have been happening which are hard to explain, he added. This is very dangerous. If we continue this way, we will create a bad image (of the party) before the public. Using money to gain leadership is very bad, but we have reached a point now that these things are done by women and now we have reached a stage where women have also started buying votes for leadership. President Kikwetes remarks came only days after former Prime Minister Frederick Sumaye complained that too much money went into the victory of his rival in CCMs National Executive Council contest in Hanang District last month. The ruling party may have opened up about internal corruption, but the country will have to wait for any suspects to be brought to court yet. The Prevention and Control of Corruption Bureau (PCCB) says it is conducting investigations. We are still receiving reports from all the regions and we will brief journalists after that, PCCB Director-General Edward Hoseah told journalists last week. In a TV programme aired on Sunday evening by Channel Ten, CCM Secretary-General Wilson Mkama said the party leadership was thinking of reviving its corruption watchdog to deal with the crisis. At Sundays UWT congress, Minister for Community Development, Gender and Children Sophia Simba successfully defended her post as national chairperson. Ms Asha Makame was elected the vice-chairperson. Ms Simba beat Anna Malecela, the MP for Same East-CCM, and Ms Mayrose Majinge. Mr Kikwete said that those using money to gain popularity within the party might succeed in luring the delegates, but it would cost the party its public esteem. On factions within the party, President Kikwete cautioned the newly-elected UWT national chairperson that her work would be hard and she would achieve little if the rivalry that characterised the campaigns continued. For the wing and the party to be strong, he advised her, to work with all factions, including those that supported other candidates. He added: I am a living example of such situation. After winning the presidency in 2005, I included in my cabinet those who had competed with me in the primaries. Prof (Mark) Mwandosya competed against me but I appointed him a minister and he is still in the cabinet to date. Amazingly, he quipped, it is his allies who started fighting among themselves after he formed the government. The President told the winners that they should ensure that the rival groups are dissolved and that they work together if they want to make the party stronger. Our goal as a political party is to win elections at all levels and on both sides of the Union and form the governments, Mr Kikwete added. We will not achieve this if we start competing from within. Though he did not mention it directly, Mr Kikwete was apparently referring to the bitter rivalry between Ms Simba and Ms Malecela during the campaigns. Meanwhile, preparations for the Youth Wing (UVCCM) general congress have been completed. UVCCM Secretary-General Martine Shigela told reporters yesterday that the congress, which will also elect national leaders, will be held today in Dodoma. He added: I want to caution delegates and candidates to refrain from bad campaigns and corruption as we have set strategies aimed at controlling those vices. Even after the elections, if we establish that a candidate who has won or lost or a delegate engaged in corruption, we will take action against him. The UVCCM is expected to elect its national chairman from among three candidatesSadifa Juma Khamis, Rashid Simai Msaraka and Lulu Msham Abdalla. The candidates for vice chairman are Mr Paul Makonda, Ms Mbini Mhita and Mr Ally Hapi. Other positions to be contested include the CCM National Executive Committee, UVCCM representatives to UWT and Parents wings and members of the UVCCM governing council. |